social media – Communication Research Blog by MU Undergraduate Students

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By: Zakara Preston

Before reading this blog you probably were on your phone scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or maybe your sibling is making a TikTok in the other room. The point is that social media is surrounded by us in many ways. Social media has a big impact on society communication. Being a young adult there is no doubt that social media is surrounded by us we all are connected whether it’s for work or school or just someone you know thats constantly on it. I go to say that social media is only going to grow. It’s important to know the evolution on how we communicate on these platforms how it impacts you and communication.

Before the early 2000s the ways of communication were through newspapers, radio and face to face conversation. The evolution has grown so much. The impact of social media and communication is very significant. There are negative and positives aspects. Being a young adult it’s important to know the impacts of social media to use it strategically and to be aware so you don’t fall into the negative aspects of social media.

When you’re scrolling on social media you’ll see companies promoting thier products and coming up with content for brand awareness. Social media marketing and strategy is positive for companies as it allows engagement and brings in more customers. So if you’re working for a company or thinking of starting a business social media will be needed for companies reputation and to attract customers.

A study https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350464500_Understanding_How_Social_Media_Is_Influencing_the_Way_People_Communicate_Verbally_and_Written talks about how “social media provides awareness among society like campaigns advertisements articles promotions which helps communities stay up to date.” This shows how campaigns use social media to communicate awareness.

Theres plenty of changes social media has made of interpersonal communication non verbal and verbal. The study mentions how a person may be eating dinner and they are scrolling through twitter and not communicating at the dinner table. They also mention self expression and how theres a sense of urgency to share and interact with others online. We are speaking a whole new language with the use of emojis and using gifs so we communicate visually and with abbreviations online such as lol, gtg, brb. This is an aspect on how we communicate as a society online.

The study conducted a survey most age 21 to 25 and they found that majority of people strongly agreed that social media has greatly impacted on the way people speak and write in their everyday lives. 25.5% of participants strongly agreed that social media minimize face to face interaction. While 36.3% just agreed and 29% neither agreed or disagreed.

Respondents gave their opinion on social media and communication one says “ Social media makes communication colorful easier to understand while another respondent mentions “how it neglects to focus on our inner feelings and emotions” one mentioned how “its normalizes a system in which immediately delivering ideas without authentication or self criticism.” Social media pros are that it made people feel confident talking about certain topics, it’s easier to gain more knowledge about a topic. You can connect with others and those that are unable to see each other due to distance. The cons can include the lack of in person social skills lack of deeper connection with others.

I feel like social media does have an impact on communication in everyday lives. Since it’s been here for awhile and for most of my youth its becomes normalized for form communication. I love the connectedness I can feel when I can relate to a funny video I seen on tiktok. It’s also good for getting in touch with others and keeping up with family and friends. I think the problem comes in is that it can be addictive. This is when social media can be very negative because it can be bad for your mental health. You may start comparing your lives to others you see online which can lead to sadness and feeling lonely. Self image issues, body image issues, the fear of missing out and constantly checking social media all these aspects affects mental health.

Overall, it’s important to be aware as a young adult of social media and its impacts because you can use it your best advantage such as for communication, networking building an audience and creating content that you enjoy. The problem comes in is when theres too much increase time on social media and when it starts effecting your mental health. Thats when you have discipline. You have to know when to take a break from the platforms, whether that be to deactivate an account, or deleting all social media apps, unfollowing people and content that are negative.

I suggest to use social media in a way that is beneficial to you specifically when it comes to communication staying in contact with others, networking, and producing content since these aspect of communication can grow you as individual. Alot of Communication now and days are going to take place on social media. So thats why it’s important to know how you’re communicating on social media knowing how its impacting you. In what ways are you communication on social media?

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Written By: Emily Brubaker

The impact of social media in our society cannot be ignored, particularly concerning how it affects our perception of body image. It is common for young individuals, especially women, to be constantly bombarded with images of bodies that are perfect and idealized on various social media platforms. This content exposure can effect one’s own body image. Instagram is definitely one of the most popular social media platforms out there. With every post, comes the potential for likes and comments, which has its effects.

Comments provide positive and negative feedback on oneself, which can significantly impact self-esteem and confidence. Additionally, viewing other people’s statements makes it easy to compare oneself to others and rely on them to form an opinion about oneself. Studies have shown that comments can encourage a particular message, that ultimately wasn’t its main intent. There comes a point when all the comments can become overwhelming, and it’s important to know when to take a break.

The research conducted by Hye Min Kim (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/1461444820956368) delves into the influence of comments on body images, putting forward three hypotheses that examine how viewers respond to both positive and negative comments on social media. The study highlights the impact that comments can have on our perception of our own bodies. In Kim’s study, participants were randomly assigned to one of three Instagram body postings: “(1) with comments that are favorable or (2) unfavorable to the depicted body, or (3) without any comment.”

As a frequent user of Instagram, I find myself often scrolling through the comments of the people I follow. It’s almost like a reflex at this point. But then I stop and wonder, how do these comments shape my perception of myself and my experience on Instagram? Do they make me feel better or worse about myself?

Through the research, comments are shown to be more impactful when users can see other comments, relating those pictures to their own ideals. Social media’s impact on body image is often perceived as unfavorable, but personal identification with our bodies is the true determinant.

The research identifies that the type of comments one looks at can ultimately affect the viewer’s body perception. Positive feedback on body postings may have the power to mitigate body image concerns by helping viewers adopt a broader conceptualization of beauty standards and fostering body appreciation. On the contrary, negative comments dealing with a similar body type can damage one’s body image.

As a woman in my twenties, I frequently engage in conversations with my peers regarding the negative impact of social media on our self-image. Given my active use of various social media platforms, discussions often revolve around removing pictures due to feelings of shame or turning off likes and comments. These conversations reflect a broader trend among women in my age group and underscore how social media can impact our perceptions of our bodies.

I want you to think back to scrolling on social media, whether that was yesterday, two days ago, or three minutes ago. And if you looked at any comments on either your own or someone’s else how did it make you feel? Did it make you think about yourself differently? Do you want those comments to be about you? It is normal for you to feel different about your body image on social media because that is what we have trained our minds to do.

Overall, it’s essential to set boundaries to avoid negative body idealization. One suggestion is to turn off likes and comments, especially if they make you have a negative impact on your body. It’s also a good idea to unfollow accounts that constantly make you feel like you are comparing yourself to them, and viewing their comments negatively yourself. You can take control of when Instagram comments are too much for you.